Politico: GOP Frets Over Light Agenda

Looks like House Republicans are finally realizing that their Do-Nothing Congress isn't winning them any points with the American people, with Members complaining their agenda for the year “is simply not enough”:

“Lame. That’s what a growing number of House Republicans have been saying privately — and now publicly — about what they’ve seen so far of their party’s 2012 legislative agenda.”

“Staring nervously at a high unemployment rate, with the November elections around the corner, GOP lawmakers are concerned that what their leadership is revealing for this year’s work is simply not enough.”

“In short, they’re yearning for more than Speaker John Boehner’s signature infrastructure and energy production bill, and they worry they’re going to go home to campaign with a light legislative résumé.”

“‘We need to get more done,’ said Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), when asked if what has been laid out is enough. ‘Our unemployment in Ohio is still too high — it’s 8.5 percent. I remember when Ohio had 4.5 percent unemployment.’”

“And with Congress’s approval ratings in the gutter, Republicans are sick of blaming the Senate for their inaction. They want real legislative victories, not just GOP bills that pass out of the House and go nowhere on the other side of the dome.”

“‘We can’t blame everything on the Senate. The average American doesn’t realize that,’ said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.). ‘We need to quit passing bills over here and cheering for ourselves when we know they’re dead on arrival over there. And at some point, if the Senate wants to play like this, we need to work something out to help the American people. We think we know the right answers to help them, but we’re not being forceful enough to get the Senate to do it.’”

“But the agitation among this Republican majority is emblematic of the larger struggles that Boehner has had controlling — and pleasing — his conservative conference. First, this Republican majority has constantly struggled to project unity. During government funding fights, there were factions that wanted a government shutdown, and during the debt ceiling debate there were members who argued until the end that the government could default on its debt. In December, during the payroll tax fight, some Republicans were willing to let the holiday expire if the Senate refused to extend it for a full year. Those were all positions the leadership spurned.”